HTC to start unlocking bootloaders starting August

HTC recently announced, thanks to some fierce public backlash, that they would start shipping phones with unlock bootloaders. The current flagship phones like the Sensation and Evo 3D would have their bootloaders unlocked through an OTA update. That was the last we heard regarding this matter. An OTA update for Sensation is already out but it didn’t bring with it the fulfillment of HTC’s promise and people were left wondering if it would ever be true. HTC does have a history of backing away from official statements (hint: Desire Gingerbread update). But fortunately HTC has given an update regarding the whole issue on their facebook page.

Here’s what they have to say

We wanted to provide an update on HTC’s progress with bringing bootloader unlocking to our newest phones. We know how excited some of you are for this capability, and we’ve put significant resources behind making this change as soon as possible. While we wish we could flip a simple switch and unlock all bootloaders across our device portfolio, this is actually a complex challenge that requires a new software build and extensive testing to deliver the best possible customer experience.

We’re thrilled to announce today that software updates to support bootloader unlocking will begin rolling out in August for the global HTC Sensation, followed by the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA and the HTC EVO 3D on Sprint. We’re in the testing phase for the unlocking capability now, and we expect it to be fully operational by early September for devices that have received the software updates. We’ll continue rolling out the unlocking capability over time to other devices as part of maintenance releases and new shipments.

HTC continues its commitment to unlocking bootloaders and supporting the developer community. Because of the importance of this community to us, please expect an update on this about every few weeks as we make progress toward launch. Thank you for your patience and continued support!

Rolling out in August means you should get the update by September or October at the least. It’s not exactly that near but some news is better than no news. Sensation has massive potential and it’s only held back thanks to the stock ROM so any custom ROM like Cyanogen would certainly do the phone wonders.